By ABDULHAKIM SHERMAN
newshub@eyewitness.africa
Garissa gubernatorial aspirant Mohamed Muktar Shidiye has defended President William Ruto’s determination to exempt members of the Somali group from vetting once they apply for nationwide identification playing cards.
Mr Shidiye, Kenya’s former ambassador to Botswana, criticised Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya for urging President Ruto to reinstate the vetting of members of the Somali group when making use of for IDs, terming the transfer discriminatory, and urged the pinnacle of state to reject such calls.
The frontrunner within the 2027 Garissa gubernatorial race made these remarks at Nairobi’s Paradise Corridor in Eastleigh, the place he presided over a commencement and honouring ceremony for Al Faiz Centre for Quran and its Science.
Mr Shidiye has been making waves in political and social circles, not solely in Garissa County however throughout the nation, for his agency stance on points regarding the Somali group and the nation at massive.
“Right this moment, as we rejoice the unbelievable achievements of our college students, we’re reminded that information and religion are highly effective instruments for constructing a greater society,” Shidiye stated.
He continued: “However simply as essential because the information we impart is the surroundings during which we reside. We should work collectively to make sure that each Kenyan, no matter their background, has entry to alternatives and is handled with equity and dignity.”
Although Mr Shidiye’s phrases had been rooted in training, they shortly segued into a subject that had been creating friction inside political circles: the matter of the nationwide identification card vetting course of for members of the Somali group.
Mohamed Shidiye arms over a present to a participant in the course of the commencement ceremony for Al Faiz Centre for Quran and its Science. PHOTO/UGC.
President William Ruto’s determination to exempt the Somali group from the nationwide ID vetting course of had sparked a firestorm of reactions. Whereas many had welcomed the transfer, recognising it as a step towards inclusivity, others — together with Governor Natembeya — raised issues, arguing that the exemption was unfair and will result in the exploitation of the system.
Governor Natembeya had lately known as on President Ruto to rethink the exemption and reinstate the vetting course of, claiming it was important for guaranteeing the integrity of Kenya’s nationwide identification system.
Nonetheless, Mr Shidiye, ever the defender of his group, was fast to supply his assist for the President’s determination.
“It’s deeply troubling when a few of our leaders counsel that our group be subjected to a vetting course of that others should not required to endure. Allow us to not neglect that the Somali persons are Kenyans, and as such, they deserve the identical rights, privileges, and dignity as some other citizen,” he declared.
Mr Shidiye said that asking for the exemption of Somalis to be revoked was an unfair transfer to focus on them primarily based on their ethnicity, including that this was discriminatory, and he strongly opposed it.
He emphasised that the Somali group had been an integral a part of Kenya’s social cloth for generations, contributing to the expansion and prosperity of the nation. Subjecting them to extra scrutiny by means of vetting, in his view, was a step backward.
“Kenya is a various nation, made up of many various ethnicities, cultures, and traditions. This range is our power,” Shidiye asserted. “Once we begin singling out teams primarily based on their identification, we weaken the very cloth that holds us collectively. President Ruto has made the precise name, and I stand firmly with him on this matter.”
Mohamed Shidiye talking in the course of the commencement ceremony for Al Faiz Centre for Quran and its Science. PHOTO/UGC.
Mr Shidiye’s remarks weren’t restricted to political issues alone. The previous envoy additionally took the chance to talk on the importance of Islamic training, a cornerstone of the occasion at hand.
“Educating the Quran and its sciences to our youngsters isn’t merely about passing on spiritual information; it’s about instilling in them robust ethical values that may information them all through their lives,” Shidiye defined.
He praised the academics and oldsters dedicated to nurturing the subsequent era, guaranteeing that they weren’t solely well-versed within the Quran but in addition geared up with the abilities essential to navigate the challenges of the fashionable world.
Mr Shidiye’s phrases had been a testomony to his perception within the energy of training to form people into accountable residents who might contribute positively to society.
“We should put money into our youngsters, for they’re the way forward for this nation,” Shidiye urged. “They’re those who will lead Kenya into the subsequent period, and we should be sure that they’re ready to take action with knowledge, integrity, and a deep love for his or her nation.”
The highway forward for Mr Shidiye is obvious. With a rising following and a platform for championing the rights of the Somali group and all Kenyans, he’s positioning himself as a formidable chief for the long run.
